The NBA has shown me something in these playoffs. Specifically, the 7-game series format for the postseason is simply brilliant. If there's any sure thing in this 21st century sports media, it's the way controversy explodes around questionable outcomes.
In March Madness, the bad call sends one team home and another on to the next round. The NFL, similarly, usually has a good, long while between the same two teams facing each other, so emotions have time to settle before the rivals hook it up again. In the NBA playoffs, you get those two teams at each other’s throats Monday playing each other again Wednesday.
Game 5 in San Antonio will have that kind of hostile crackle to it, the same tension seen in Phoenix for Game 5 of the Spurs/Suns series last round. Four technical fouls (two on coach Jerry Sloan and two on veteran Derek Fisher) on the Jazz in the fourth quarter. Manu Ginobili flopping like a fish out of water. These events from last night will come under my scrutiny here over the next handful of paragraphs. But I have to start with a group of people that don't even play basketball.
Should any of the few Jazz fans abysmally ignorant enough to throw objects onto the court after the game's conclusion read this, I'd like to personally assert that I hope you are never permitted into an NBA arena again. Coaches and players have to keep their emotions in check, for even the slightest wrong word earns them a hefty fine or worse. We all know the frightful consequences that come of things being thrown at players. About 99% of possible provocation is no grounds for a player to go into the stands, and thankfully no one did tonight.
But those responsible for the projectiles that came soaring out of the stands after San Antonio defeated the Jazz 91-79 should, for lack of better or wittier terminology, be very ashamed of their behavior. The athletes are the athletes, and as such we endlessly expect them to not respond to antagonism. Still, it’s preposterous to assume that just because a fee for a ticket was paid that spectators are free to partake in this kind of silly and classless temper tantrum.
That isn't to imply that the officials are blameless. No one likes to talk about the dudes in stripes after the game, but some of these statistics are just mind boggling. San Antonio scored 19 of their 28 points in the fourth quarter from the free throw line. They also got six more shots from the line that they missed. Through the course of the game, San Antonio shot twice as many free throws as Utah did. And, folks, this isn't a situation where Utah doesn't play a physical style of ball that gets you to the line. That's left to Phoenix and Golden State. The truth was that this game was poorly officiated, and while it gives no lunatics clearance to chuck random garbage onto the court, it is something that deserves to be mentioned. A few times, in fact.
Article comments
1 - Matthew T. Sussman
I thought it would take a Brazilian things to piss off Utahns. Guess it's just an Argentian.
2 - Matthew T. Sussman
Argentinian.
Yeah, I could go back and edit it. That's an extra mouse click, and it's a lazy four-day work week.
3 - Jose Angel
Uh...could it be that the Jazz deserved all those foul calls because they were physically assaulting the Spurs especially in the 4th Qtr? They were obviously losing the game, unable to get production from role players and were trying to bully their way to a victory. As for flopping, I actually saw more of it from the Jazz than from Manu, and for the couple of flops he did make, there were as many non-calls when he was being hammered in the paint. Poor officiating depends on your bias, and its obvious where yours is.
4 - Jared Wright
Ha, yeah, see, I'd never have expected this from Utah. I know Phoenix got pretty hot last series, people were even wondering if the arena would be safe for Game 5. But I'd expect Utah least of the teams left in the playoffs to have people getting hostile like that.
5 - Spurs Suck
Spurs are nothing but cheap-artists and for those that are fans of that team. What a pity to cheer for such a cheap, dirty and douche team.
6 - Ban ESPN
Jazz fans have every right to be upset and hostile toward the Spurs and officials. For all the cheap calls going to the Spurs, this is what's wrong about the NBA.
Ever since the NBA went to ESPN, its all about ratings. This is why the NBA and ESPN sucks.
7 - Jared Wright
Upset? Yes, certainly. I'll admit that had I been a Jazz fan last night, I'd probably have been in a profanity-laced rant through most of the fourth. Hostile? No. At least not to the point of chucking stuff.
And if it was all about ratings, don't you think we'd see Phoenix in the conference finals? Or Dallas? Or both? The NBA already had San Antonio Vs. Detroit in the finals in 2005, and from a ratings prospective it was a disaster. The only hope the NBA has for the finals' ratings is LeBron coming out of the East.
8 - jeff
JAred you are exactly right, if they wanted ratings they would want Suns/Warriors type teams. Yeah "ban espn's" logic is baffling to me. Maybe it was just a poorly officiated game why is everything a conspiracy theory, especially when the logic doesn't work.
9 - Jared Wright
The sports world likes to talk at great lenghts about how players respond in pressure situations, when they have a split second to make a decision. I've always wondered why officials aren't given the same pass more often, "they just made bad calls at bad times." That doesn't make it right, and I get just as upset as anyone when my teams get the short end of a controversial call or series of calls. Officials calling a bad game is just that though, officials making bad calls. The chances of it being some sort of grand conspiracy are infinitesimal, and in this case the motives could hardly be weaker.
10 - RJ
Spurs in 5...and they will be well-rested going into the Finals...oy...
11 - Jared Wright
I can't say anything to rationalize it, but I want Utah to win Game 5 so my prediction of Spurs in 6 will be as accurate as possible. The Jazz need to get their pride on and pull a Chicago Bulls.